1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to bioagents and more particularly to monitoring bioagents.
2. State of Technology
There exists a critical need to develop distributed biothreat agent sensor networks that can operate in civilian applications. To operate in “Detect to Protect/Warn” type detection architectures, these platforms need to have several key properties. They need to be capable of detecting pathogens within a 1-2 hour time window, allowing for enough time to respond to an event. They need to be extremely low cost to maintain, since continuous monitoring is essential for many applications. These platforms need to have sufficient sensitivity to cover a broad geographical area (limiting the necessary number of sensors) and have sufficient selectivity to virtually eliminate false positives. Currently available bio-weapons detection systems are designed primarily for military use on the battlefield. These systems are often expensive to deploy and ultimately unsuited for civilian protection.
In an article titled, “U.S. Is Deploying a Monitor System for Germ Attacks,” by Judith Miller in The New York Times on Jan. 22, 2003, it was reported, “To help protect against the threat of bioterrorism, the Bush administration on Wednesday will start deploying a national system of environmental monitors that is intended to tell within 24 hours whether anthrax, smallpox and other deadly germs have been released into the air, senior administration officials said today. The system uses advanced data analysis that officials said had been quietly adapted since the September 11 attacks and tested over the past nine months. It will adapt many of the Environmental Protection Agency's 3,000 air quality monitoring stations throughout the country to register unusual quantities of a wide range of pathogens that cause diseases that incapacitate and kill . . . . The new environmental surveillance system uses monitoring technology and methods developed in part by the Department of Energy's national laboratories. Samples of DNA are analyzed using polymerase chain reaction techniques, which examine the genetic signatures of the organisms in a sample, and make rapid and accurate evaluations of that organism . . . . Officials who helped develop the system said that tests performed at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah and national laboratories showed that the system would almost certainly detect the deliberate release of several of the most dangerous pathogens. ‘Obviously, the larger the release, the greater the probability that the agent will be detected,’ an official said. But given the coverage provided by the E.P.A. system, even a small release, depending on which way the wind was blowing and other meteorological conditions, is likely to be picked up.’”
In an article titled, “Biodetectors Evolving, Monitoring U.S. Cities,” by Sally Cole in the May 2003 issue of Homeland Security Solutions, it was reported, “The anthrax letter attacks of 2001, and subsequent deaths of five people, brought home the reality of bioterrorism to Americans and provided a wake-up call for the U.S. government about the need for a method to detect and mitigate the impact of any such future attacks. Long before the anthrax letter attacks, scientists at two of the U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), were busy pioneering a “biodetector” akin to a smoke detector to rapidly detect the criminal use of biological agents. This technology is now expected to play a large role in the U.S. government's recently unveiled homeland security counter-terrorism initiative, Bio-Watch, which is designed to detect airborne bioterrorist attacks on major U.S. cities within hours. Announced back in January, Bio-Watch is a multi-faceted, multi-agency program that involves the U.S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many of the EPA's 3,000 air-quality monitoring stations throughout the country are being adapted with biodetectors to register unusual quantities of a wide range of pathogens that cause diseases that incapacitate and kill, according to the EPA. The nationwide network of environmental monitors and biodetectors, which reportedly will eventually monitor more than 120 U.S. cities, is expected to detect and report a biological attack within 24 hours. Citing security reasons, the EPA declined to disclose further details about the program at this time . . . . The Autonomous Pathogen Detection System (APDS) is file-cabinet-sized machine that sucks in air, runs tests, and reports the results itself. APDS integrates a flow cytometer and real-time PCR detector with sample collection, sample preparation, and fluidics to provide a compact, autonomously operating instrument capable of simultaneously detecting multiple pathogens and/or toxins. The system is designed for fixed locations, says Langlois, where it continuously monitors air samples and automatically reports the presence of specific biological agents. APDS is targeted for domestic applications in which the public is at high risk of exposure to covert releases of bioagents—subway systems, transportation terminals, large office complexes, and convention centers . . . . APDS provides the ability to measure up to 100 different agents and controls in a single sample,’ Langlois says. ‘It's being used in public buildings right now.’ The latest evolution of the biodetector, APDS-II, uses bead-capture immunoassays and a compact flow cytometer for the simultaneous identification of multiple biological stimulants. Laboratory tests have demonstrated the fully autonomous operation of APDS-II for as long as 24 hours, . . . .”